scholarly journals From face-to-face to online and back again: How Mason’s Online Course Development Institute Can Help You!

Author(s):  
Constance Harris ◽  
Larisa Olesova ◽  
Stephen Brown

Over the last decade many faculty members have taken their traditional face-to-face class and created a version that is offered in a purely on-line environment. This practice has created a need to implement faculty development initiatives that help develop the skills, experience, and confidence to successfully teach online. In response, George Mason University has implemented a multifaceted approach to support faculty members’ online teaching practice. One component of Mason’s approach is the Online Course Development Institute (OCDI), a cohort-based program implemented by the Mason instructional design team. The OCDI incorporates evidence-based practices for technology-enhanced teaching and focuses on helping faculty members’ build competencies that enable them to enhance the quality and delivery of their courses. During this session, a faculty member and two instructional designers will outline the best practices for online teaching and discuss how the OCDI can help support faculty in implementing these practices. Creative strategies for effectively using these practices in blended or traditional face-to-face courses will also be discussed. The target audience for this presentation are faculty, and others, who want to learn about using online elements in their teaching and how OCDI can help them in online teaching--whether they intend to transition their class to a 100% online format, or to adapt online techniques to their traditional face-to-face class. 

Author(s):  
Kaye Shelton ◽  
Diane Mason ◽  
Cindy Cummings

In spite of online teaching having existed for almost two decades, many courses still mirror the traditional objectivist classroom. However, the literature clearly validates that a different approach must be taken for online course design that includes a pedagogical shift to constructivist methods that encourage transference of learning such as mastery learning, problem-based and project-based learning, authentic learning and assessment, and collaboration. This chapter presents elements of constructivist course design for increased online student engagement that can support online student success.


Author(s):  
Veronica Outlaw ◽  
Margaret L. Rice ◽  
Vivian H. Wright

The authors have personally experienced the burdens of creating online courses without the assistance of trained instructional designers. Many faculty are employed in conditions where they develop online courses without the proper knowledge and training of many essential aspects that should accompany the development of an online course (e.g., design, development, learning styles, copyright, design principles, accessibility, incorporating technology, and technical skills) (Singleton et al., 2013; Speck, 2000; Wickersham et al., 2007). The authors propose and describe the use of a detailed online course development and delivery model (Outlaw & Rice, 2015) that was created to provide distance education units with a systematic approach to course development. The proposed model nourishes the partnerships between faculty and designers to improve the quality of online courses, while providing the support faculty need to successfully create online courses. The authors discuss a model that provides consistency in efforts to create efficient workflows to develop online courses.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee LaPointe Terosky ◽  
Chris Heasley

In this qualitative study, we examine the experiences of seven tenure-track and non-tenure track current/future online faculty through the conceptual lenses of sense of community (McMillan & Chavis, 1986) and collegiality (Gappa, Austin, & Trice, 2007). We found: (1) participants reported that their sense of community and collegiality around online course development and teaching was lacking, (2) participants’ communities for online teaching, if available, primarily focused on technical support, and (3) participants desired greater community and collegiality for philosophical and psychological concerns with the medium of online teaching. We conclude with recommendations for practice for online faculty professional growth.


2019 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Korey Jerome Singleton ◽  
Anna Evmenova ◽  
Marci Kinas Jerome ◽  
Kevin Clark

This qualitative case study design examined the perspectives that instructional designers at a 4-year research institution in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States have about integrating UDL strategies into the online course development process. The participants were six individuals involved in the online course development process: four of the participants were instructional designers working for the Instructional Design Team, one participant was an assistant program manager in the Office of Distance Education, and the other was an instructional designer working in the College of Health and Human Services. The interviews focused on the participant’s perspectives on the integration of UDL strategies and how they believe faculty perceived such practices. Using a series of semi-structured interviews and document analysis, three distinct themes emerged: (a) the importance of the instructional designer/faculty member partnership, (b) the number of factors impacting faculty adoption of UDL strategies in their online courses, and (c) faculty resistance to changes in how classroom accommodations are addressed in the higher education classroom. In addition to highlighting factors impacting the integration of UDL strategies, the findings also revealed techniques that could be useful in improving faculty adoption of such practices.


Author(s):  
Veronica Outlaw ◽  
Margaret L. Rice ◽  
Vivian H. Wright

The authors have personally experienced the burdens of creating online courses without the assistance of trained instructional designers. Many faculty are employed in conditions where they develop online courses without the proper knowledge and training of many essential aspects that should accompany the development of an online course (e.g., design, development, learning styles, copyright, design principles, accessibility, incorporating technology, and technical skills) (Singleton et al., 2013; Speck, 2000; Wickersham et al., 2007). The authors propose and describe the use of a detailed online course development and delivery model (Outlaw & Rice, 2015) that was created to provide distance education units with a systematic approach to course development. The proposed model nourishes the partnerships between faculty and designers to improve the quality of online courses, while providing the support faculty need to successfully create online courses. The authors discuss a model that provides consistency in efforts to create efficient workflows to develop online courses.


2014 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aimee LaPointe Terosky ◽  
Chris Heasley

In this qualitative study, we examine the experiences of seven tenure-track and non-tenure track current/future online faculty through the conceptual lenses of sense of community (McMillan & Chavis, 1986) and collegiality (Gappa, Austin, & Trice, 2007). We found: (1) participants reported that their sense of community and collegiality around online course development and teaching was lacking, (2) participants’ communities for online teaching, if available, primarily focused on technical support, and (3) participants desired greater community and collegiality for philosophical and psychological concerns with the medium of online teaching. We conclude with recommendations for practice for online faculty professional growth.


Author(s):  
Kim H. Song

The chapter examines emerging priorities and trends in virtual or online teacher education courses using empirical research findings on online courses. The benefits and challenges of the online practicum course are explored, as well as the efficacy of online coaching if it impacts on participants' teaching practice. The uniqueness of this online course is that it uses synchronous one-on-one coaching as an innovative way of leading them to the next level of inquiry. This virtual course facilitates mutual and progressive improvement through synchronous and asynchronous communication tools. The results include the procedure of the interactive and effective online course development, benefits and challenges of taking well-designed online courses, and impact of guided and reflective virtual coaching as well as future direction.


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